Norway opposition fights EU Data Retention Directive. Politicians from three of Norway’s political Parties pledge to continue their anti-DRD campaign. 2011’s compromise between Labour (Ap) and the Conservatives (H) – currently the largest opposition Party – led to the controversial legislation being passed after some postponement. The EU’s DRD requires all telephone companies and internet providers to store information on consumers’ traffic for at least six months.

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The EU’s DRD requires all telephone companies and internet providers to store information on consumers’ traffic for at least six months.

Those in favour of the legislation, amongst others the Police Security Service (PST), say it will help tackle elements of serious crime.

Critics believe it to be a violation of privacy. All other Parties voted against passing the DRD in parliament.

In her 5th April column on The Foreigner Jenny Klinge MP, Centre Party (Sp) representative for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, raised concerns that the stored data might be open to misuse.

The DRD is not yet adopted under Norwegian legislation. At the same time, Progress (FrP), the Christian Democrats (KrF), and Liberals (V) have vowed to persevere fighting for revoking the parliament-approved DRD, whoever is in power after polling day this September.

“Reasons for another round against the corresponding regulations in Norway become even stronger as the DRD is increasingly questioned in the European Court of Justice several EU countries,” Hans Antonsen, the Liberals’ primary Aust and Vest-Agder counties’ candidate, told Nationen.

Ketil Solvik-Olsen, deputy leader of the Progress Party, also expressed concerns over the legislation, arguing it gives the state too much power at the individual’s expense.

“We’re not afraid to vote down something the Conservatives and Labour have managed to achieve in the past should the parliamentary majority shift,” declared Mr Solvik-Olsen.

“Our goal is that the Directive will not come into effect”, declared KrF MP Kjell Ingolf Ropstad, “the Data Inspectorate says the DRD is a further step into a surveillance society.”

“The Christian Democrats don’t want a situation where privacy is sacrificed at the altar of good intentions,” he adds, calling for greater use of Norway’s EEA agreement veto right

Conservative deputy leader Jan Tore Sanner remarks that “there’s a good tradition in Norway to respect parliament’s decisions, so the DRD will continue to stand [as a piece of legislation] with a non-socialist government.”